NFL | ICFO

Nanofabrication Lab (NFL)

The Nanofabrication Lab (NFL) at ICFO is a transversal facility devoted to the fabrication of nanostructured photonic devices.

The 570 m² facility includes a 275 m²dedicated ISO6/ISO7 cleanroom area and other controlled environment spaces, hosting a complete set of state-of-the-art nanofabrication tools and techniques for a wide range of optical applications, from biosensing to optical communications, and spanning a broad range of materials, such as polymers, semiconductors, metals or crystals. The laboratory also includes tools for advanced materials and device characterization.

NFL Chair
Prof. Niek van Hulst

NFL Scientific Officer
Dr. Johann Osmond

Facility Staff
Francisco Javier Pérez Díaz
Paula Díaz Carreras

Available techniques

Lithography
• E-beam lithography (EBL)
• Optical lithography (Maskless aligner)

Imaging
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Surface activation and cleaning
• Plasma ashing/cleaning
• Ozone cleaning

Surface topography
• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
• Profilometry

Nanomachining and nanoanalytics
• Focused Ion Beam (FIB)

Analysis and metrology
• Spectroscopic ellipsometry

Thin film deposition
• Thermal and e-beam evaporation
• Sputtering
• Thermal and plasma-assisted Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)

Dry etching
• Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)

Equipment

Lesker LAB18

The Lesker LAB18 evaporation tool allows the deposition of thin films in the nano-scale range, using either thermal or electron beam sources, with accurate control of the deposition rate and the final thickness by means of quartz crystal microbalances. It incorporates a high temperature (up to 600 ºC) substrate heater and an ion gun source for Ion Asisted Deposition (IAD).

Oxford Instruments Plasmalab System 100 ICP 180

The Oxford Instruments Plasmalab System 100 ICP 180 is a Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) tool capable of etching different materials using inert gases (argon or oxigen) or reactive gases, in our case fluorine based gases. These materials include photoresist, silicon based materials (such as Si, SiO2 or Si3N4), metals or 2D materials (such as graphene, hBN or MoS2). The Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) option allows to keep a dense plasma even at low pressure.

Heidelberg Maskless Aligner MLA150

The Heidelberg maskless aligner MLA150 is an optical lithography tool that operates in a non-contact mode (i.e. without the need of a mask). The pattern design is projected through a Digjtal Micromirror Device (DMD) and a lens, and is focused on a sample covered with photoresist, making possible the fast prototyping of samples of up to 8” diameter with a typical resolution of 0.6um. It allows the overlay alignment of different designs, either on front or back side, for multi-step processing.

CRESTEC CABL-9510C

The CRESTEC CABL 9510 is a tool specifically designed for Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) allowing the patterning of features of the order of a few nanometers on a sample coated with electron beam sensitive resist. This technology is fundamental to create devices on the nanometer scale. It works at the acceleration voltage of 50kV and accepts sample sizes ranging from a few millimeters up to 6” diameter.

Zeiss Auriga CrossBeam

The Zeiss Auriga Crossbeam is a multi-tool platform hosting a gallium Focused Ion Beam (FIB), a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and a Gas Injection System (GIS). It is mainly used in our facility for direct patterning of micro and nanostructures, for thin film structures inspection in cross-section and for the local deposition of metallic patterns.

Zeiss Orion NanoFab

The Zeiss Orion NanoFab is a Gas Field Ion Source (GFIS) type of Focused Ion Beam (FIB), working in this case with helium and neon. The neon beam is used for precision nanomachining with speed, and the helium beam for the fabrication of sub-10 nm structures or for high-resolution imaging (0.5 nm).

Park NX10 / Park NX20

The Park Systems NX10 and NX20 Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) are scanning probe tools which are used for surface topography and metrology to investigate electrical, mechanical and optical properties at the nanoscale for materials science. The availability to work in liquid can be used to scan also biology samples.

Collaborations

Research Infrastructures
The Nano Characterization Lab forms part of the following research Infrastructure

The NFL is open to external collaborations with industry, research centers and Universities and all interested parties. In order to request access, detailed information on the available equipment and fees, please contact: nflstaff@icfo.eu

Current Fees

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